Media Multitasking and Emotional Change

/ 2021-09-10

This project begins with my coursework on Communication Cognition, which is a graduate-level seminar given by Prof. Yegiyan at UC Davis. I accomplished the research proposal on this seminar and am collecting data now.

Key Concepts #

  • Self-control: the mental processes which allow people to make their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors consistent with their long-term targets (Inzlicht, Schmeichel, & Macrae, 2014)

  • Two models for self-control

    • Strength model of self-control (Baumeister et al., 2007)
    • Motivational model of self-control (Inzlicht, Schmeichel, & Macrae, 2014) : Capacity to override desire (motivational strength) to get pleasure in the environment

  • Multitask media use: Using more than one kinds of media during a period of time. There are different types of multitasking, including concurrent multitasking, task switching, and sequential multitasking. (Borst, Taatgen, & Van Rijn, 2010)

  • Media use switch: Task switching model (Gazzaley & Rosen, 2016)

  • Affective well-being: As a ‘transient emotional change’ (i.e. well-being consists of feeling good and not feeling bad) (Huta, 2016).

    • Two ways to measure: By interview (Weinstein, 2018); PANAS (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) (Watson, Clark, & Carey, 1988)

  • Research Question: How does young adults’ self-control in media multitasking influence their affective well-being?

Hypotheses #

  • H1a: Young adults fail their self-control by switching from one media to another when they feel less motivated in the previous ‘have-to-do’ tasks.
  • H1b: Young adults exert their self-control by switching from one media to another when they feel less motivated in the previous ‘want-to-do’ tasks.
  • H2a: Self-control failure can improve the affective well-being of young adults.
  • H2b: Self-control exertion can decrease the affective well-being of young adults.

Methodology #

  • Experience Sampling Method

    • Participants will be asked to recall about what media multitasking behavior they have done, and fill in the following form three times a day during two weeks.

    Data Collection Form

  • Tested Models Model for H1

    Model for H2

Last modified on 2021-09-10